1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of internal combustion engines. More specifically, the present invention relates to a five-cycle internal combustion engine that is suitable for use as both a gasoline engine and a diesel engine, having an improved design that allows for improved fuel efficiency and improved power production.
2. Description of Related Art
Internal combustion engines are known in the art. For example, various engines with piston arrangements or sets that work face-to-face are known in the art, but none of those engines manages to optimize its operation to obtain a complete cycle engine.
For example, the engine described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,306 comprises two pistons facing each other. However, the engine also includes an auxiliary combustion chamber or pre-chamber on its top part wherein valves and a sparkplug are housed. Furthermore, the engine body described in that patent is not a monoblock engine body. In addition, the engine has three crankshafts so that the two crankshafts that receive the explosion pulse are not connected to each other but through a third one. The engine disclosed in the patent causes an explosion every two crankshaft revolutions and the valves are actuated exclusively by means of a camshaft.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,255, an engine comprising a cylinder lid and having a vertical arrangement is described. The engine has a single crankshaft, one piston per cylinder, and a porous body regenerator having a diameter slightly less than the sleeve and moved by a stiff rod. The engine works in a two-stage cycle that equals the cold or hot operation.
The motor described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,520,765 comprises the following features: sleeves having ports; pistons moved by balls that transmit a force through an endless rotary; ignition is produced specifically by the temperature achieved by the compression of the air/fuel mixture, and although it manages to make an explosion per cylinder in each engine revolution, the working times are short because the piston stroke is very reduced; variable opening ports that separate the combustion chambers of each piston, as a consequence of which in each cylinder there are two opposed pistons but with divided chambers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,567 relates to a two-stage engine having ports and a tubular design, without a crankshaft, and having pistons moved as a consequence of the movement of rolls on endless-type spirals. The engine uses air cooling.
While there have been many designs for internal combustion engines, there still exists a need in the art for improved engines that provide better fuel efficiency, more power, or both.